Adjustable toggle-lever-type strap tightener



May 9, 1967 s. J. ROUNDS ETAL 3,317,967

ADJUSTABLE TOGGLE-LEVER-TYPE STRAP TIGHTENER Filed June 7, [1965 36 INVENTORS 46 SAMUEL JROUNDS,

JAMES G. ROUNDS.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,317,967 ADJUSTABLE TOGGLE-LEVER-TYPE STRAP TIGHTENER Samuel J. Rounds and James G. Rounds, both of RD. 1, Henderson, N.Y. 13650 Filed June 7, 1965, Ser. No. 461,898 .4 Claims. (Cl. 24-70) This invention relates to a take up clamp having a toggle action. The invention relates to a device comprising a pair of members which may be used to quickly connect a strap or the like to an anchorage or other member, after which slack is removed and tension applied to the strap, and the connection locked under tension.

More particularly the invention comprises an oblong plate, adapted to be anchored at one end, and a channel lever member attached to a strap or other flexible tension member. The lever member is provided with a tongue adapted to be projected into one or another of a series of slots in the plate, whereupon the channel member is swung into alignment with the plate, with the plate nested within the member. By reason of the strap connections to the side flanges of the lever member, an over center lock is effected, and due to the shape of the tongue, a toggle take up action is effected, whereby the mechanical advantages of the lever action increases as the lever approaches the lock position.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the take up clamp in locked position;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the clamp;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the clamp plate member;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the channel lever clamp member;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the channel lever member, and

FIGURES 6, 7, 8 and 9 are a sequence of views illustrating the take up and clamping action, terminating in a locking position in FIGURE 9.

Referring to the drawings there is shown the clamp, as comprising an elongate plate 20 having an attachment head 21 for cooperation with a key slot, and a channel sectioned hand lever 22 provided with a pivoted bale 24, to which a flexible tension strap 26 is attached. The plate 20 is of a width slightly less than the width of the web portion 28 of the channel member, so as to be slidable therealong, and nest between the side flanges 30 and 32. The plate 20 is provided with a plurality of transverse slots 34, suitably spaced so as to provide an adequate adjustment range. The lever 22 is provided with an arcuate tongue 36, formed as an integral extension of the web portion 28, and the tongue is adapted to be inserted into one of the slots 34 of the plate 20.

It will be seen that the bale 24 has inturned ends 46, pivoted in apertures 48 in the flanges 30 and 32 which may be headed over as at 49. The center line of the pivot is displaced from the inside surface of the web portion by an amount greater than the thickness of the plate.

The operation of the device will be best seen from a consideration of the FIGURES 69 inclusive, showing a sequence in the operation of applying tension between i the anchorage or attachment end 21 of the plate, and the strap 26. In FIGURE 6, the channel member is shown at an angle of about to the line of pull to be exerted between the strap 26 and the tongue. The tongue has been shown as inserted into a slot 34, the end slot being indicated in FIGURES 6-9 for convenience in illustrating the operation only. After insertion of the tongue in the end slot 34, the channel sectioned handle is swung counterclockwise to the position shown in FIGURE 7, where take up between plate and strap amounts to the distance A, and the tongue engages the slot at about its mid position. Further forcing of the handle counterclockwise to the position shown in FIGURE 8 continues to take up, adding the distance 13 to the distance A. As

the handle is further rotated to the position shown in FIGURE 9, the increments of take up gradually diminish, with equal increments of angular movement of the handle, so that the force being applied increases, although the handle swings with approximately the same case to its final position. The final total take up is the distance represented by A plus C. It will be observed that a toggle action becomes effective as the handle moves from the position shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 to that shown in FIGURE 9, and that the mechanical advantage increases as the lever is moved from the position in FIG- URE 6 to that of FIGURE 9.

As soon as the handle reaches the position shown in FIGURE 9, the center line L between the bale pivots 46 and the bearing of the tongue 36 on the plate slot 34, has gone over the center line of pull X, as indicated in FIGURE 9, so that the clamp remains locked in full take up position by the tension between the anchorage 21 and strap 26. Since the position was achieved by a toggle action, the lock is readily released by clockwise rotation of the lever, but so long as tension remains upon the strap, the lock cannot be released without deliberate manual actuation of the handle. In practice the spacing between slots will be less than the total take up as represented by A plus C so that, by inserting the tongue 36 in the proper plate slot 34, any desired take up within the limits of the slotted length of the plate 20 may be had.

In practice, the tongue 36, extends at an angle of about 60 degrees from the plane of the web 28, by a distance equal to the thickness of the plate 20, as indicated at 37 after which the tongue extends in an arcuate fashion as at 39, the end of the tongue terminating as at 39 in a plane spaced from the plane of the inside surface of the web 28, by a distance, substantially the thickness of the plate 20.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a clamp composed of a minimum of parts of relatively simple construction, and ease of manufacture has been provided. Furthermore the operation of the clamp is such that quick coupling, and adjustment and application of tension to a strap or other tension member is efiected. In addition the coupling is securely locked in full tension position, or readily released by manipulation only.

While a single form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A connecting and take-up and tension applying device for a tension member comprising an elongate plate having a transverse slot in one end, and attachment means at the other, and a channel sectioned member having a web and side flanges, the Web being of a width to receive the plate in nesting relation within the channel, said channel member, at one end having an integral tongue extension from the web thereof, of a width less than the length of said plate slot, said tongue extending at an angle from the inside plane of said web, in the direction of said side flanges, and having an arcuate portion concave in the opposite direction, said channel member having opposite pivot apertures in its flanges adjacent the tongue end of the flanges, said apertures being spaced from the inside plane of the web of said channel member by a distance greater than the thickness of said plate, and means pivoted in said apertures for attachment to a tension member.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plate has a plurality of like uniformly spaced transverse slots to adjustably receive the tongue extension of the channel member.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for attachment to said tension member comprises a C shaped bale pivoted in apertures in the channel member flanges.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plate has a plurality of like uniformly spaced transverse slots to adjustably receive the channel member tongue extension, and in which the channel member means for attachment comprises a C shaped bale pivoted in the apertures in the channel member flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. A CONNECTING AND TAKE-UP AND TENSION APPLYING DEVICE FOR A TENSION MEMBER COMPRISING AN ELONGATE PLATE HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLOT IN ONE END, AND ATTACHMENT MEANS AT THE OTHER, AND A CHANNEL SECTIONED MEMBER HAVING A WEB AND SIDE FLANGES, THE WEB BEING OF A WIDTH TO RECEIVE THE PLATE IN NESTING RELATION WITHIN THE CHANNEL, SAID CHANNEL MEMBER, AT ONE END HAVING AN INTEGRAL TONGUE EXTENSION FROM THE WEB THEREOF, OF A WIDTH LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID PLATE SLOT, SAID TONGUE EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE FROM THE INSIDE PLANE OF SAID WEB, IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SIDE FLANGES, AND HAVING AN ARCUATE PORTION CONCAVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE PIVOT APERTURES IN ITS FLANGES ADJACENT THE TONGUE END OF THE FLANGES, SAID APERTURES BEING SPACED FROM THE INSIDE PLANE OF THE WEB OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBER BY A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID PLATE, AND MEANS PIVOTED IN SAID APERTURES FOR ATTACHMENT TO A TENSION MEMBER. 